Buzz

by Munro, Shelley

  “Woman problems?” James asked, taking possession of the opposite seat.

  “Man and woman,” Sebastian blurted before his brain engaged. “Shit.” He shook himself. “Pretend you didn’t hear that.”

  “Hear what?” Luke queried.

  Sebastian sank back into the faux leather seat and tried to relax. No amount of even breathing helped to settle the roiling in his gut. He closed his eyes and saw Jen swollen with child. Every muscle in his body tensed. Fuck! He forced his eyes open and stared at his drink instead. “Who are we playing pool against?”

  “Him.” Luke jerked his thumb in the direction of the tables. “I’d like to knock him on his pretty city-boy arse.”

  “Can’t do that,” James said. “You’re a cop.”

  “Not on duty,” Luke pointed out.

  “Let’s do this.” Sebastian was all for kicking butt. Anything to help settle the angst seething inside him.

  “Can he shoot straight?” James whispered.

  “Heard that,” Sebastian said. “Right here you know.”

  “Can you shoot straight?” Luke asked.

  “Straight enough to whip your arse.”

  Luke nodded. “Let’s do this.”

  Not only was the man a pretty city-boy with his salon-styled blond hair, he was a wise-arse too. And his friend wasn’t much better. Wayne didn’t like City Boy’s friend. Sebastian knew that.

  He and Luke settled in to play pool. The city boy broke and slotted in a ball, looking out of place in his suit and business shirt even if he had lost the tie. Two balls later, he missed, handing the table over to Sebastian. Although he was drunk, Sebastian potted several balls before a tricky shot proved the better of him. On his next turn, Sebastian dropped the last two balls before lining up the black. Not an easy shot, but he hit it sweetly and it dropped into the hole.

  “Yes!” Luke pumped his fist in the air.

  “Rematch,” the city boy insisted.

  “Rack ‘em.” Luke accepted the challenge. “Hey, sweetheart.” Luke hugged his wife Janaya hello.

  “Are you winning?”

  “Yep,” Luke said, winking at Sebastian.

  Another woman sauntered up to the pool table, her familiar perfume making Sebastian stiffen. “What do you want?” he growled at Victoria, his ex.

  “Nothing you can give me,” she retorted, and she wrapped her arms around the city boy, giving him a passionate kiss before pulling back to fire a malicious smile in Sebastian’s direction.

  Something tightened inside him. He turned away, ignoring her to hand the cue to Luke. “You break.”

  Luke made a creditable job of it, giving them a good start and leaving a tricky shot for the city boy.

  “A kiss for good luck,” Victoria cooed.

  Sebastian ignored them and worked to keep the old memories at bay. Bitter memories. Hurt and pain. No matter what he did, he couldn’t stop the agonizing thoughts of the past pushing at him. He swallowed and wandered back to the table to have some liquid courage.

  Janaya cocked her head. “You okay?”

  “No,” Sebastian said.

  “That won’t help.”

  “Can’t hurt,” Sebastian said.

  “Where’s Wayne?” James asked.

  “Home.” His mouth twisted when he realized what he’d said. After tonight he might not have a home with Wayne. And Jen… Damn, he couldn’t sit by and let her get rid of a baby.

  “Your turn.” Luke handed him the cue stick.

  Sebastian studied the balls on the table and got to work. One after another, he slotted them into the pockets until only the black was left. He sank that too. “Looks as if you lose again,” he said to the city boy.

  “Don’t be such an arsehole,” Victoria cried.

  “Butt out,” Sebastian snapped.

  “Don’t talk to my fiancée like that,” City Boy said.

  “Fiancée? I hope you know what you’re letting yourself in for.” Sebastian blasted Victoria with the full force of his derision. “She’s a liar and a cheat.”

  “Shut up!” Victoria screamed. Her fists flailed out and she collected Sebastian on the nose.

  “Bitch.”

  “Did you hear what he called me?” Victoria demanded.

  City boy didn’t answer, punching Sebastian instead. Pain reverberated through his jaw. Sebastian fingered the sore spot and wriggled his jaw back and forth. He grinned. “Can’t you do better than that?”

  City Boy threw another punch. It was wild. Sebastian ducked to the side and punched back. He connected. City Boy went down with a crash.

  Victoria slapped Sebastian. “Why did you hit him?” Her hand slashed through the air again. Sebastian tripped while backing up to avoid her. The urge to hit her back was strong but he ignored it. Despite the provocation, he’d never hit her during their marriage and he wasn’t about to start now.

  “Someone call the cops,” Victoria screamed. Her hand lashed out and her fingernails ripped a gouge in his chin. Blood dripped to the floor but Victoria didn’t let up.

  “He mightn’t be able to hit you but I can,” Janaya said.

  “No weapons,” Luke mumbled from behind.

  Before Sebastian could start to puzzle that one out, Janaya approached Victoria. Her hands snapped out. Victoria broke off mid-screech when Janaya’s fists met their target. Seconds later it was over. Victoria was out cold on the floor and silence reigned.

  “I’ve still got it,” Janaya said to Luke.

  “Got what, sweetheart? I didn’t see a thing.”

  “Thanks,” Sebastian said.

  “No problem.” Janaya dusted off her hands on the back of her jeans. “Why did you divorce her anyway?”

  “She aborted my baby without discussing it with me,” Sebastian said, the pain as deep now as it had been when it happened two years ago. Tears pricked at his eyes and he had to blink rapidly to keep control. “And later I discovered she’d cheated.” What the fuck? Why was he telling her? He hadn’t even told Wayne about the baby.

  “I’m sorry.” Janaya scowled down at Victoria. “I would have punched her harder if I’d known.”

  A startled laugh burst from Sebastian. He was glad Janaya wasn’t gunning for him.

  * * * * *

  “Where’s Sebastian?” Jen asked as she slid onto one of the barstools at the kitchen counter.

  “I don’t know. He didn’t come home last night.”

  “Should we be worried?”

  “He’s not answering his phone.”

  Jen frowned. “Any idea where he might be?”

  “I’m hoping he turns up here soon, but if he doesn’t I’ll start at the pub. How are you?”

  Jen felt her face crumple, an accompanying tremor slipping through her. “Pregnant.”

  “I thought you were on the Pill.”

  “I am,” she snapped. “Evidently I hit the percentage that it doesn’t work for. Lucky me.”

  “Whoa.” Wayne lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I’m sorry.”

  “Why don’t you ask your next question? Who’s the daddy?”

  “Jen.” Wayne rounded the counter and lifted her off the barstool before wrapping her in the comfort of his arms. “I know you’d never sleep with anyone other than me or Sebastian. What do you want to do?”

  “I don’t know.” Once again emotions overwhelmed her and exited as big, fat tears. They slipped down her cheeks and soaked into Wayne’s T-shirt. “My mother would be so angry with me. I feel as if I’ve let her down. Broken my promise to her.”

  “I doubt you’d ever disappoint her. My grandmother always says that life doesn’t go according to plan. What we need to do is make a new plan. One that you can live with.”

  Jen sniffed. “You make it sound so easy.”

  “I know it won’t be easy. There are three of us and people are going to speculate.”

  “I hate gossip. When I was a kid I used to hear people whispering about my mother and how she had an affair with a
married man.”

  “Do you know who your father is?”

  “No, whenever I asked my mother brushed it aside. I have no idea. She’d been at university before her pregnancy, so it could have been anyone.”

  “That’s one thing we all have in common then. Sebastian doesn’t know anything about his real parents. I have a mother listed on my birth certificate but no father.”

  “How come Sebastian doesn’t know anything?”

  “He was abandoned. A couple walking their dog heard him crying. Someone had dumped him in one of those big rubbish bins.”

  “Oh god. Wayne. That’s terrible.”

  “Yeah. He doesn’t talk about it much, but I’m sure that’s part of the reason he ended up married to Victoria. He wanted a family.”

  Some of Sebastian’s vehemence of the prior evening started to make sense. “I would never desert a child.”

  “I know you wouldn’t. What do you want to do?”

  “I’d better go to see a doctor, and I’ll go from there.”

  Wayne smiled down at her and wiped the moisture off one cheek. “That’s a good start. Do you want me to come with you?”

  “No, you should find Sebastian. I might ring Gaby and ask her to go with me.”

  “Good plan. Do you want something to eat?”

  “No,” she said sharply, her stomach going into somersaults at the mention of food. “Maybe a couple of cream crackers.”

  Wayne grabbed his keys, attempting to hide his worry. “If you’re set, I might try to track down Sebastian.”

  Jen sent him a sharp look. “You’re worried.”

  “Damn, I’m gonna have to work on hiding my emotions a bit better.”

  “No. It’s just that I know you so well.”

  Ten minutes later, Wayne dropped Jen off at Gaby’s. Neither Gaby, Fletch or Liam had seen Sebastian. He drove to the pub and pulled up beside Sebastian’s vehicle. Wayne climbed out of his car, half expecting to see Sebastian sleeping inside his truck. He wasn’t. The vehicle was locked.

  Damn. Where next? He tried Sebastian’s cell phone again, and it went straight to voicemail. He climbed back into his car and drove around town trying to think where Sebastian could be. Nothing. He drove to their office and searched there. Again, nothing.

  After exhausting every possibility, he pulled up outside the police station, his gut churning with trepidation.

  Luke Morgan, one of the Sloan cops was arriving just as he entered the police station.

  “Hey, Luke. I don’t suppose you’ve seen Sebastian?”

  “I have. He was in my spare bedroom, snoring fit to wake the dead when I left the house.”

  “He stayed at your place last night?”

  “Yeah. He’d had a skin full, and I decided it might be best.” Luke grinned suddenly. “There was a bit of trouble.”

  “Is he okay?”

  Luke’s grin widened. “He’ll have a headache.”

  Luke wasn’t telling him everything. “Should I go and collect him?”

  “Are you the man part of his woman and man trouble?”

  Wayne hesitated. “Yes,” he said finally.

  “Are you gonna sort it out?”

  Was he? Wayne considered that for a few seconds then nodded. “Yes.”

  “Then go and get him,” Luke said.

  “Thanks.” Wayne headed off feeling more confused than ever. At Luke’s place, he knocked on the door.

  Janaya answered and smiled, her violet eyes twinkling. “You’ve come to pick up Sebastian.”

  “Yes. Where is he?”

  “Still sound asleep. Down there.” She gestured. “Second door on the left.”

  Wayne slipped off his boots and entered the house. At the doorway of the bedroom Janaya had indicated, he came to a halt. A slow smile curved his lips. Sebastian lay stretched out, wearing just his boxer-briefs, his right arm wrapped around a black and white spotted dog. Wayne chuckled. The pair looked cute and he whipped out his cell phone intending to snap a photo. Before he could take the shot, the dog’s eyes popped open. A series of short barks, followed by a hair-raising growl, issued from her throat.

  Janaya came running. “Ah, I wouldn’t take that photo if I were you. Killer doesn’t like having her photo taken.”

  The dog barked again. A series of sharp barks as if it were agreeing with Janaya.

  Wayne put his phone away and the dog visibly relaxed.

  “Come on, Killer. We’ll make another pot of coffee.”

  “Wayne?”

  “You’re awake,” Wayne said.

  The dog growled as it wriggled.

  “I think she wants you to lift your arm,” Janaya said.

  Wayne took a quick two steps to the bed and grabbed Sebastian. He hugged him, relief filling him because Seb was safe. In that moment he knew that he had to do everything he could to make them into a family. And most of all, he had to help make Seb feel secure.

  Uncaring of the audience, he kissed Sebastian smack on the lips. The man smelled like a pub and didn’t taste the best, but Wayne didn’t care. This was right where he wanted to be, and every relationship he’d had to date paled in comparison.

  He heard the dog give another series of barks and lifted his head.

  “Shush, Killer. It’s not wrong for men to kiss if they care for each other.”

  Wayne smiled against Seb’s neck. He cared for Sebastian.

  The dog barked.

  “No, if Luke tried kissing James, I’d brain him. Come, Killer.”

  The dog scurried after Janaya, leaving them in peace.

  Weird. Wayne shrugged away Janaya’s strange discussion with the dog. “I was worried about you.” He pulled back to study Sebastian properly. “What happened to your face? You have a bruise and is that a scratch?”

  “I got in a fight last night in the pub. Victoria hit me.”

  “And you didn’t hit back.”

  “I can’t hit a woman, Wayne.” Sebastian sounded shocked.

  “Of course you can’t, but that doesn’t mean she can thump you either.”

  Sebastian let out a husky chuckle. “No, but Janaya slugged her. You should have seen her. One punch and Victoria went down.”

  “Was Luke there?”

  “He didn’t see a thing.”

  “Coffee is ready,” Janaya said from behind them. “What Sebastian means is that Luke pretended he didn’t see anything.”

  “Good for him.”

  When they walked into the kitchen the dog was barking again. Wayne shook his head. Strange creature. It never seemed to shut up.

  “I think they have a girlfriend too,” Janaya said.

  “Are you talking with that dog?” Wayne asked.

  Janaya winked. “Of course I am. Dogs can talk.”

  Sebastian snorted and dropped onto the nearest chair. “Man, my head hurts.”

  “Take a couple of these.” Janaya handed him two tablets and a glass of water. “My aunt swears by them.”

  “So you’re both with Jen Alexander. She’s a nice girl.”

  “Yeah, she is,” Wayne said.

  “Where is Jen?”

  “She’s gone to see the doctor.”

  Sebastian lurched to his feet. “She hasn’t gone to get an abortion?”

  “What? Of course not. Seb, sit back down. You should know better. Jen would never have an abortion.”

  “What is she going to the doctor for then?”

  Janaya handed them both mugs of black coffee and shunted milk and sugar in their direction so they could fix their coffees as they pleased. “She’s probably gone to confirm the pregnancy and to make sure she’s healthy. Right?”

  “Yes. Jen might be upset about a baby right now but she won’t do anything silly.”

  “Sebastian, you should tell Wayne,” Janaya said.

  “Tell me what?”

  “Victoria got pregnant and had an abortion without telling me,” Sebastian said.

  “Fuck! Seb, why didn’t you tell me?” That
explained his attitude toward the pregnancy.

  “I couldn’t.” Sebastian scowled. “It still kills me every time I think about it.”

  “Jen isn’t Victoria,” Wayne said.

  The dog barked, and Janaya shushed her. When the dog barked again, Janaya went to the fridge and pulled out a huge bone. After unwrapping it, she gave the treat to the dog. Killer exited via the door.

  “What does Jen want to do?” Sebastian asked. “If she doesn’t want the baby then maybe she’d consider letting me adopt it.”

  Sympathy and love clutched at Wayne’s chest, making it difficult to draw breath. A thought occurred and he tossed it around in his mind. Yeah, that might work. He’d think on it. “Let’s go home. We’ll talk with Jen and help her make plans.”

  “Thanks for looking after me last night, Janaya.”

  “No problem.” She waved off Sebastian’s thanks with a flap of her hand. “That’s what friends are for.”

  “Thank you,” Wayne mouthed and he set down his coffee to guide Sebastian outside. It was time to go home.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Sebastian’s head thumped like a bitch. He patted his pocket by habit, searching for his sunglasses.

  “Here.” Wayne handed him his sunnies without Sebastian saying a word.

  “Thanks, man.”

  Jen and Gaby were in the kitchen when they arrived home.

  “I thought you were going to the doctor,” Sebastian said.

  “They were booked solid this morning. I have an appointment for this afternoon.”

  “Can I go with you?” Sebastian asked.

  Jen stared at him for an instant, shot a quick glance at Wayne then nodded. “You can drive me.”

  Sebastian’s breath eased out. “I’ll wait for you in the waiting room.” Some of the fear encasing him lifted at her agreement. With those few words, she’d let him in, and it meant the world to him.

  * * * * *

  Wayne’s Father’s Birthday Party

  “Wayne, you’re here,” his mother said. “And this must be Jen.” She grasped both of Jen’s hands and scrutinized her from head to foot. “You must be doing something right, my son. Your girl is glowing.”

  Beside him, Sebastian stiffened, and Wayne cursed under his breath. A few careless words and all the frank, honest discussions they’d had during the past week seemed far away. The rest of the world intruded big-time.